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Chinese culture

Chinese culture
Latest news and updates on Chinese culture including the country’s traditions, food, values, history and festivals.
Pilgrims carry a sedan chair holding a statue of Mazu, the sea goddess, during a ceremony in 2023 in Ningde, Fujian province. It is fitting that a modern weather warning system designed to protect lives should carry the name of a guardian long associated with the sea. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Science

Letters | China’s Mazu system is a win for climate adaptation and cultural heritage

Readers discuss Chinese names for scientific projects, why ride-hailing cars pose a problem for Hong Kong, and the quality of teaching at universities.

Health & Fitness

Explainer: How to train at a Shaolin kung fu centre, like Victor Wembanyama

Food and Drinks

‘Piece of history’: old cookbook exhibition traces Hong Kong’s culinary past

Artificial intelligence

Can this AI-powered Chinese astrology platform shake up the industry?

Singapore-based astrologer Sean Chan trained Tian Qi on over 9,000 of his own consultations. But not all his peers are so keen on using AI.

Singapore-based astrology Sean Chan uses his AI-powered Chinese metaphysics reading platform Tian Qi. Photo: courtesy of Sean Chan
Chinese history

How Chinese pirate queen Ching Shih ruled the South China Sea in the 1800s

Ching, aka Zheng Yi Sao, became China’s most successful pirate during the Qing period, building a fearful empire that terrorised the region.

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Wellness

How tai chi energises these Chinese retirees: ‘everyone’s health has improved’

Tai chi practitioners at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven talk about learning the ancient Chinese practice and how it benefits health and spirit.

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Food and Drinks

China’s regional cuisines: survival strategies written in flavours

From Sichuan’s humidity to the Dongbei deep freeze, Chinese food isn’t about taste, it’s about not dying. A journey through five cuisines that reveals how geography shaped what a billion people eat.

A hot pot restaurant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. Photo: Getty Images
Food and Drinks

US$1,100 for 1kg? Hunting the wild mushrooms of Yunnan

In China’s wild-mushroom capital, there are more than 1,000 species of edible varieties, and many are highly prized in Chinese dishes.

Food and Drinks

Meet the Chinese-Indonesian baker transforming Mumbai’s bread scene

Shannen Alexandra talks about overcoming injury to bake for Mumbai-based Mag St. Bread Co. and how her breads and pastries honour her past.

Chinese zodiac predictions

Is the Year of the Horse’s sixth month lucky for you? Forecasts for all signs

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan breaks down this lunar month’s prospects for all 12 Chinese zodiac signs in work, finances, romance and health.

How’s your luck in the sixth month of the Year of the Horse 2026? Feng shui master Andrew Kwan gives his predictions for all 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs. Photo: Shutterstock
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Kung Fu Soccer: Stephen Chow loses his touch with Shaolin Soccer spin-off

Dilraba Dilmurat and Zhang Xiaofei lead a team of female football martial artists in Chow’s film that falls far short of its 2001 predecessor.

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Dilraba Dilmurat in a still from Kung Fu Soccer, Stephen Chow’s gender-flipped spin-off of his 2001 comedy classic Shaolin Soccer. The Hong Kong director’s first film in seven years lacks tension and has visuals that resemble AI slop.
Diplomacy

Opinion | Slowly but surely, China’s soft power is making itself felt

With trusted businesses, more openness, creative culture and inspiring sporting successes, China is building a foundation for influence.

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Food and Drinks

All about Walovi, the Erling Haaland-promoted Chinese herbal drink

The Norwegian footballer has brought the drink into the spotlight – but what exactly are the benefits of this nearly 200-year-old brand?

Books and literature

‘I never felt ready’: author on finally writing her Chinese grandmother’s story

Elizabeth Lim reveals why it took her 10 years to write Fishbone Cinderella about her grandmother’s journey from Hong Kong to San Francisco.

Elizabeth Lim is known widely for her young adult high fantasies such as Six Crimson Cranes (2021) and Spin the Dawn (2022). Now, the New York Times bestselling author is making a deliberate, maturity-driven pivot for her newest novel Fishbone Cinderella (2026). Photo: Adrian Ow.
Food and Drinks

New generation of grill masters: why people are joining China’s barbecue academy

China’s first dedicated barbecue school offers its students a sizzling opportunity to become grill masters and entrepreneurs.

A trainee makes barbecue skewers at Yueyang Barbecue Academy in Yueyang, in China’s Hunan province. With China’s economy slowing and well-paying jobs in traditional sectors harder to come by, interest in joining the academy is high. Photo: AFP
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | A history of Chinese fans and how they kept people cool in summer

Fans have long been used in China for cooling and cooking and as artistic status symbols. We look at the tool’s reinvention over 3,000 years.

History

Being Chinese | In China, I found pieces of history waiting to be carried forward

My family’s history had travelled across the Pacific, leaving gaps that descendants on both sides are still working to fill in.

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Food and Drinks

Best things to do in Wuhan, China’s breakfast capital - revealed in a new light

Hubei’s eclectic capital on the Yangtze River is famous for its hearty breakfast food and many lakes. Here’s how to spend a weekend there.

Wuhan’s skyline with the Yellow Crane Tower in the foreground with the Yangtze River behind it. Hubei province’s sprawling capital is known for its breakfast dishes, its natural water features and for being the historical heartland of China’s Chu people. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese zodiac predictions

Horoscopes: what does July 2026, Wood Goat month, hold for your zodiac sign?

It’s a time of intense summer heat and Wood Goat energy, calling for protection against ‘damp’ imbalances – so what does July hold for your sign?

Food and Drinks

On the Menu | It’s goodbye to chef Vicky Lau’s Tate Dining Room, but not for long

Hong Kong’s Tate Dining Room, which has closed its Hollywood Road space and will reopen nearby, has felt like a steady presence in the past 14 years.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

6 surprising facts from Jet Li’s new book, including his near-death moment

From his many names to dishwasher woes, Beyond Life and Death shares things about the Chinese martial artist fans may not have been aware of.

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In his new book Beyond Life and Death: The Way of True Freedom, Li says he has always been searching for his true self, and finally found it through practising Tibetan Buddhism. He wrote the book to share the spiritual benefits of these practices. Photo: handout
Mainland China

Video | How a Chinese indie film conquered the box office

Lan Hongchun’s story about love, loyalty and immigrant struggles has struck a chord with the overseas Chinese diaspora, topping the box office with US$290 million.

Lan Hongchun’s story about love, loyalty and immigrant struggles has struck a chord with the overseas Chinese diaspora, topping the box office with US$290 million
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Art

What was it like to attend a Children’s Palace in socialist-era China?

The ‘Youth Palace’ exhibition at Shanghai’s Rockbund Art Museum looks at a socialist educational institution that promoted collectivism.

Food and Drinks

‘Healthier than butter’ lard is back as chefs celebrate rendered pork fat

After years of people believing that lard is an unhealthy fat, Hong Kong chefs are championing the use of rendered pork fat on their menus.

China consumption

After hooking China on coffee, Starbucks ramps up consumer strategy

Now that the chain has Chinese consumers hooked on coffee, it is attempting to become part of local consumer culture, analysts say.

A woman checks her phone next to a Starbucks cart in Beijing. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

As the US turns 250, young Asian-Americans weigh identity and China

Many feel more at ease with their heritage but see the future of US-China ties, not anniversary festivities, as more relevant to their lives.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Food and Drinks

Gluten-free Chinese food in London? Why coeliac diners will love this dim sum

A London restaurateur, driven by maternal instinct, created a gluten-free dim sum menu, ensuring coeliac diners can enjoy Chinese cuisine.

Food and Drinks

How traditional Chinese medicine found its way onto fine-dining and bar menus

At Man Ho Chinese Restaurant, Table by Sandy Keung and Clan & Co, chefs and bartenders are leaning into ancient wisdom and giving TCM a tasty makeover.

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